MEET OUR CO-HOST: Karla Estela Rivera

<p><strong>During this first episode of </strong><em><strong>Why Change?</strong></em><strong>, you’ll meet one of our co-hosts, Karla Estela Rivera. Karla is a writer, performer, activist, and arts advocate who uses storytelling to uplift folks in underserved communities in Chicago.</strong></p> <p><strong>In this episode, you will learn:</strong></p> <ol> <li><strong>The ways storytelling have connected Karla to her communities in Puerto Rico and Chicago;<br> </strong></li> <li><strong>The creative impacts Karla has made within her community to help combat COVID-19; and<br> </strong></li> <li><strong>How Karla keeps her focus from the shiny things in life.<br> </strong></li> </ol> <p><strong>Check out some of the things mentioned during this podcast, including:</strong></p> <ul> <li><a href="https://freestreet.org/"><u><strong>Free Street Theatre</strong></u></a><strong>, the organization which Karla leads<br> </strong></li> <li><a href="https://www.2ndstory.com/"><u><strong>2nd Story</strong></u></a><strong>, the program where Karla performs her storytelling<br> </strong></li> <li><a href="https://medium.com/state-matters/what-you-need-to-know-about-an-arts-indicator-for-illinois-schools-40ca3f0b9795"><u><strong>An article about the advocacy for the Illinois Fine Arts Indicator</strong></u></a><strong>, which Karla co-lead<br> </strong></li> </ul> <p><strong>ABOUT KARLA ESTELA RIVERA</strong></p> <p><strong>Karla Estela Rivera is a writer, performer, activist, and arts advocate that has leveraged her gift of storytelling to uplift and create opportunities for, with, and in underserved communities. She is the Executive Director of the historic Free Street Theater and a company member of 2nd Story in Chicago. In addition to her artistic work, Karla has served in non-profit organizations for over a decade, beginning as a teaching artist and youth worker, to systems-level leadership in public affairs. Most recently she served as the co-chair of the Illinois Fine Arts Indicator work group which developed